


Haircut

by Manni26



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Halloween, Love, Party, Teenagers, argument, drunk, haircut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21757045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manni26/pseuds/Manni26
Summary: The explanation of what happened to Nancy Wheeler’s hair in season two.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler/Steve Harrington, nancy wheeler/mike wheeler
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

“Is something wrong?” Nancy questioned Steve as he sped down the dark, twisted, fall road back to her house. There was a tone to Nancy’s voice that suggested she wanted to argue. 

“Nothing...just...nothing,” Steve replied with heavy hostility. He clenched the wheel of his BMW tightly; he wanted to speak. He wanted to scream at her for how she was lately, how she moped around instead of having fun. He put up with it all summer, but it was really getting to him. 

There was a time where Nancy would have been excited to go to a party with Steve, hang with friends, talk, have sex, but she didn’t do those things anymore and it frustrated the hell out of him. Just thinking about it made him grind his teeth. 

“You know...I didn’t want to leave Ally’s party early,” Steve brought up, planting the seeds for an argument. Nancy swept her long, curly chestnut hair from her shoulder and gazed at him. 

“I told you I just...wasn’t ready for that. Ally, Barb, and I used to hang out all the time there and I just-.” There was a pathetic cadence to her voice that Steve didn’t respect. 

“Well, maybe you need to stop being such a wet blanket and get over it,” he harshly spoke. 

“Get over it? What?!? Do you mean get over Barbara?” There was a moments pause before Steve dared to answer with a simple ‘yes’. 

“You have got to be kidding me! Do you even hear yourself right now?” Nancy erupted. 

“Nancy, it’s been goddamn ten months!”

“I didn’t realize there was a time limit of how long you’re allowed to be upset over your best friend dying?”

“You’re impossible!” He spat, “you really are! I do everything I can to try and help you feel better! All I wanted to do tonight was go to a goddamn party and you couldn’t even do that!” 

“Well I didn’t want to go to some bull shit party! I told you that! You insisted we go out, and when I said I’d rather go to the diner you said no!” She yelled, so upset she could feel a vein in her forehead pop out. 

“Why, huh? Why’d you want to go to the diner, Nance? Their food is shit and you barley eat anymore. Is it because you wanted a calm, nice evening, or cause you wanted to see Byers?” Steve spoke in a mocking tone, but deep down he said those words because of the building self-consciences he felt in the pits of his soul. He’d seen the way she looked at Jonathan, the way she strolled out of history class next to him, smiling like she hadn’t in months. It killed him to see her with him. 

“What are you talking about?” Nancy tried to cover up. 

“Come on, you aren’t that stupid! You and I both know he works there as a cook or something. That’s why you wanted to go.” 

That was exactly why she wanted to go. 

“That’s...that’s not true.” 

Steve wanted to explode, but instead pushed his car to dangerous speeds in the most reckless kind of way.

“Just admit it! You like him, don’t you? That’s why you’re always smiling and giggling around him!” 

Steve wasn’t wrong- but Nancy couldn’t admit that. The sound of the engine distracted Nancy from the words Steve spoke, and instead filled her with fear that they would fly off the damp September road. 

“Steve, slow down!” She demanded, hoping he would put his bull shit aside and get her home safely. 

“No! No! Just admit that you like that creepy, pervy loser!” Steve screamed at the top of his lungs. He hadn’t called Jonathan those names since the previous year when they fought, but he could no longer contain his distain for the peer he barley knew. 

Nancy said nothing. 

Steve came to a screeching halt in front of her house, parked the car, and looked Nancy dead in the eyes. She had tears ready to fall, but no identifiable expression on her face. 

“I used to think you were so pretty,” Steve confessed, “that little swoop in your nose, you’re long curly hair, your big blue eyes. But Nance, you’ve become so ugly.” 

A single wet tear streamed down Nancy’s cheek into her mouth as she bit her lip hard. Steve’s words stung like a thousand bees, but she couldn’t find the will to speak. Instead she simply unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of his car. Before she could walk a foot from the vehicle, he stepped on the gas and flew away. 

Nancy was angry, irate, ready to turn into the monster Steve claimed she was. Her face burned red hot as she stomped to her front door, swung it open, and darted up the stairs into her room, slamming the door shut. 

“Ugly?” She strangely and calmly spoke to herself as tears came pouring out. 

With everything that had happened to her, everything, how could her own boyfriend not understand? How did he not get that she was hurting because she missed her best friend? That she died because they were at Steve’s stupid party? How did he not understand that Jonathan was just her friend and that maybe she wanted to go to the diner not because he works there, but because she wanted somewhere quiet to talk and relax? 

He said she was ugly- why would he say that? She sat down at her vanity and saw everything. Her eyes were so red and glassy, it was hard to tell if they’d ever actually been blue. The nose he claimed had been cute was dripping snot from her histrionics.

Then there was her hair...the long, curly chestnut locks Steve and her mother were so fond of. They were draped on her boney shoulders, silky and shiny in the light. 

Nancy grabbed a pair of scissors from the drawer and snipped a curl off. For so long, Nancy felt nothing, but trimming that strand of felt...oddly good. She cut another and another and then another and before long she’d shortened her hair by five inches or so. She looked in the mirror at her distorted face and mangled hair and felt an odd sense of pride.

...

“Nancy, breakfast!” Her mother called up the stairs, awakening her from what seemed to be another shitty nights sleep. She rubbed her eyes, still slightly swollen from all the crying she’d done, and caught a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror. So...she had done it...

Quickly, she got dressed and ran down the stairs into the kitchen where her mom instantly looked up at her. 

“Oh Nancy,” she mumbled unenthusiastically with what seemed to be undertones of disappointment. Mike noticed the botched job and laughed uncontrollably. Part of Nancy wanted to cry, seeing the way her own family reacted to her change, but the rational part realized she wasn’t hydrated enough to form any tears. 

If there was one thing that rivaled the importance of her family to Karen Wheeler, it was her big, blonde, styled hair. She loved going to the beauty parlor every week to have her long tresses teased and trimmed to 80s housewife perfection. Having long hair, to Karen, was the biggest sign of femininity. 

“Sit down,” Karen disappointedly ordered, “I’ll grab the scissors and even it out.” 

...

Nancy walked Mike to school since Steve was clearly not picking her up. For the most part they trudged to their daily duty in silence until finally Mike decided to question his sister. 

“So why’d you do it?” He asked holding back his laughter. 

“You wouldn’t understand,” she informed him, clearly not pleased with his laughter. 

“Nancy,” he tried again, more serious, “why did you cut your hair? Is it because-.”

“I don’t know. I guess...I just don’t know. Steve...made me upset last night so I just did it.”

“What’d he say?”

“He was just mad at me, okay? Why are we playing twenty questions?”

Mike and Nancy defiantly didn’t always get along, but they didn’t like to see each other hurt. Nancy had been there for Mike the best she could when El disappeared, and he was prepared to do the same for his sister. 

“I like it...ya know? It’s kinda cool. Makes you look older.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. 

There was another pause before Mike decided to push it. 

“Steve’s an ass, Nance. There are much better guys out there for you.” 

It was true, there were other guys out there for her. 

...

When she walked into school, she could feel the burning stare of her peer’s judgy eyes. She could hear the snickers, see the pointed fingers, and feel the thick tension of high school drama in the air. 

She would have expected nothing less. 

As Nancy moved to her locker, she dialed the combination and pulled it open to find a note sitting on top of a hearty stack of books. Unfolded it read “I’m sorry for what I said. I was wrong. Love you ALWAYS- Steve”. The sentiment was nice, but he called her ugly. He told her she had to get over Barb. How could she stay with a guy like him when there were guys like Jonathan who actually cared about what she was thinking? 

Jonathan. 

Maybe Steve had been right, maybe she wanted to go to the diner to see him. When she left her history class she was always in a better mood because she sat two seats away from him.

Since the start of the school year she found herself unable to stop gandering at Jonathan as he walked down the halls of Hawkins High in what seemed to be better fitting clothing. His shirts and sweaters appeared to be nicer, hugging the muscles of his arms and chest. What she really liked looking at, though, were the tighter pants he wore that accentuated his lean, muscular thighs and butt. There were days when all she wanted to do was rip the pants off of him, shove him in a bathroom stall, and enjoy every part of him. 

But then there was Steve. 

He was her normal, her supposed “rock”. Sure, he’d make mistakes, get frustrated, and say stupid things but he’d always apologize, say he was wrong and...

Just as she thought about it, Steve approached her at her locker with a bouquet of red roses, and a look of sorrow. 

Red roses. 

To some girls, that was the sweetest thing a man could give. To her, it was the international symbol of “I’m sorry I was a jerk, let’s make up and it’ll never happen again (until next week when things don’t go well)”. Frankly, she couldn’t stand the sight of the red things. Didn’t he know her favorite color was pink? 

“Hey Nance,” he spoke sorrowfully behind the flowers, “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that last night. I don’t think you’re ugly at all! I love you so much and I hope you can forgive me.” 

She looked him dead in the eyes. Would Jonathan say the things Steve did? If Jonathan brought her flowers, would he go for the commercially romantic red roses, or would he bring her pink peonies, her favorite flower? 

Her thoughts about Jonathan were becoming unhealthy. 

Nonetheless, she took the roses in her hand and could see the realization in his eyes to what she’d done to her hair. 

“Hey what...what’d you do to your hair?” 

Before she could answer he spoke again. 

“Is this because of what I said?” He spilled full of guilt, “Nance I’m so sorry! I didn’t think-.”

“I just wanted a change,” she responded, not wanting to make a bigger deal over her shortened tresses. She wondered what Jonathan would think, if he would tell her she looked pretty or feel pity for her, something she hated. 

“Oh,” he let out, “so...can you forgive me?” 

Nancy let out a deep sigh. She didn’t want to forgive him, and if she was being totally honest with herself she didn’t want to be with Steve anymore. But he was her normal. She’d become so used to him by her side, taking her on dates that to give up over a stupid fight seemed illogical. 

He called her ugly. 

The thought kept popping back up into her mind. 

“Can I think about it?” She asked him, hoping to buy herself more time to think. 

“Yeah, of course!” Steve beamed, hopeful that she would come around. “By the way, I actually really like your hair. It makes your face stand out more!” 

With that, the bell rung and they were off to first period. 

Math. 

She was supposed to concentrate, but she couldn’t stop thinking of what Steve said. He told her that he liked her new style, that it brought out her face. What would Jonathan say? He was always so caring, kind, and considerate of her feelings. Surely he’d tell her she looked pretty. 

And if he did, she knew what she’d tell Steve. 

...

When third period finally rolled around, she ran into her history class and flew in her assigned seat as quickly as possible so she could see Jonathan’s reaction as he entered the room. She hadn’t seen him all morning which was actually quite unusual...normally he would have met her in the hallway before first period. She didn’t care, she wanted to see his eyes roll over her face and see the huge change she’d made. Would he tell her she was beautiful? Would he ask her out right there? Or maybe, in her deep imagination she played, would he throw her over a desk and start kissing her on the lips? 

Excitement and anticipation bubbled in her stomach but was soon stifled when Jonathan walked in, eyes on his feet, and sat in his assigned seat. 

He hadn’t looked at her. He didn’t even try. 

The whole period was a blur for Nancy as she tried to explain to herself why he didn’t look at her. Maybe he was waiting until after class, she thought, to tell her it looked terrific. Maybe he had a tough morning. 

But when the period ended and she jumped to her feet, she noticed he’d already made his way to the door, leaving her standing at her desk like a fool. All the excitement and anticipation in her stomach had been flattened like squirrel being run over by a car. Instead of gleeful feelings her thoughts were replaced with negative, insecure demons. She wanted to cry and throw up all at the same time. 

The shame of what she’d done to herself and the realization that she maybe didn’t do it because of what Steve said, but because of her desire to be noticed by Jonathan washed over her. Why couldn’t things just work out for her?

...

The end of the day rolled around and Steve met Nancy outside of the school, a silly grin on his face. 

“Nancy, I-.” He started. 

“I forgive you,” she told him, emotionless. Steve looked like he could do a happy jig, but for Nancy it was hard to even force a smile. She was glad that at least someone got what they wanted. 

...


	2. Halloween 1984

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan and Nancy in the bathroom during Tina’s Halloween party.

“Bullshit...” Nancy drunkenly spat at Steve who was shocked to find that his girlfriend felt their whole relationship was, as she described, ‘bullshit’. 

He couldn’t contain his frustration with her anymore and simply opened the bathroom door and stormed out into the living room, slamming the door behind him. He was livid, to put it lightly, and proceeded the rush through the room, purposely shoulder checking Jonathan on the way out. 

Had fate finally decided to be kind to Jonathan? 

He stood and watched as Steve marched off, and knew Nancy was still behind in the bathroom. It wasn’t unusual for those two to fight, he thought, but Steve’s face appeared to be much more hurt than he’d ever seen. Was it possible, perhaps, that they’d broken up?

Five minutes went by but Steve was no where in sight, and Nancy hadn’t come out of the bathroom, so Jonathan waded his way through the sea of people to the bathroom. Lightly, he knocked on the white wood. 

“Nancy?” He spoke, a softness to his voice, “it’s Jonathan...can I come in?” 

Nothing.

He knocked again, this time with a little more force. 

“Okay,” he heard her whisper from small room. He opened the door to see her fully clothed sitting on top of the closed toilet seat, face in her hands. 

“Hey,” he calmly greeted, closing the door behind him. He could tell by the way she held her head in her hands she’d been crying. Moving slowly and carefully, he crouched down by her side so as to be on her level, and put a cautious hand on her back, rubbing up and down. He wanted to comfort her and hated seeing her in such a desperate, drunken state. 

“You okay?” He spoke in such a soft, velvet tone that just his sweet caring words lifted her spirit. 

“Yeah...yeah I’m good,” she lied, trying to clean herself up for him. With her delicate hands she wiped the tears from under her eyes, mascara rubbing off on her fingers. Even in her drunken state she was self conscious. 

“Are you sure?” He asked again, not believing her answer. His fingers danced across her back, sweetly sweeping over her spine up to the back of her neck. The feeling of his touch made her skin tingle with pleasure, a part low in her stomach burned with uncontrollable desire. Why was she having such feelings for him? She had tried so hard over the past year to erase those thoughts from her mind, but they refused to disperse. 

Her whole relationship with Steve, it seemed, she was thinking Jonathan, dreaming about what his touch would feel like, what his lips would taste like, what his body would look like once she stripped him bare. Maybe it was drunken courage, maybe it was her finally allowing herself to accept her true feelings, but she looked up from her hands into his dark, soulful eyes and began to move her head towards his. 

Jonathan could see in her eyes that she was quite drunk and upset, so when she started to move her head towards his in an attempted kiss, he stood up to avoid the awkward moment. He knew and accepted his feelings for Nancy, knew how badly he wanted to just grab her face and place his lips on hers, but he was a gentleman and didn’t want her to do things she’d regret in the morning. Instantly, her face looked disappointed, her eyes gazing upwards to look at his. He grabbed her hand and helped her get to her feet, cradling her body closely in his arms. 

Nancy, however, had other plans. Upset and embarrassed that her attempted kiss didn’t go as she had hopped, she pushed Jonathan away so she was swaying on her own. 

“I can stand,” she defensively growled. He’d given her all the signs that he liked her, why did he push away? Didn’t he realize how bad she wanted him? Didn’t he know that drunk or not, her feelings were strong and fierce?

“Nancy why don’t I take you home?” He kindly spike hoping to diffuse the situation. Nancy didn’t say anything, just stumbled over to the counter to look at herself in the mirror. There, staring back at her was her reflection. 

Her hair. 

“You never noticed it,” She drunkenly slurred at him, touching her straightened locks. 

“Didn’t notice what?” Jonathan questioned, moving closer to her. He wanted so badly to hold her in his arms and kiss her worries away, but no. He couldn’t. Not when she was drunk. She didn’t mean to try and kiss him, he knew that. It was all a drunken mistake. 

“My hair.”

“You’re hair?”

“Yeah.”

“It looks nice,” he complimented, putting his hands in his pockets nervously. She spun around, holding the counter for support, to look him in his eyes. They were the most beautiful shade of mahogany, so soulful and honest. He had no idea what she was getting at. 

“No, no, when I cut it. You didn’t come by my locker, you didn’t walk out of history class with me, you didn’t see me after school. You never said anything to me!” She seemed to get angrier and angrier the more she spoke. 

“I like it,” he tried to recover, “it looks great. Why don’t I take you home now?” 

“No!” She protested, “it’s too late now, pal. Why didn’t you say anything to me? Do you think I’m ugly too?” 

Jonathan was so confused. Nancy was never, ever ugly. She could be dressed in the most hideous rags, makeup, hell, even a bag over her head and he’d still feel like she was the prettiest girl in the world. 

“No! I don’t think you’re ugly!” 

“Then why?” She demanded. 

Jonathan looked down at his feet, unable to convey his reason for not telling her. Calm tears flowed down her cheeks at the lack of answers she was receiving. 

“Nancy, please just let me drive you home.”

Nancy wiped the tears that slowly dropped from her eyes and sadly whispered a defeated “okay” before allowing Jonathan to carefully navigate her out of the bathroom, through the crowds of teens, and out to his car. 

...

Jonathan drove down the dark roads of Hawkins slowly and cautiously as Nancy laid almost asleep on his front seat. He assumed by her closed eyes and even breathing she was out for the night, and he decided that even though she wouldn’t hear what he had to say, he needed to get it out. 

“Nance?” He started out, testing to see if she was awake. “I noticed your haircut from the second I saw you that Monday. You looked amazing. I was getting ready to go tell you how great you looked when I saw Steve walk over to your locker and give you roses. You smiled and I...well...it’s hard to see you with him sometimes. Because...well...I just couldn’t watch, so I left. I didn’t want to look at you in history because it hurts to see some one you lo-...care about be with someone you don’t regard as being good for them. I don’t know, I’m sure I’m talking in circles here.”

He pulled up outside of Nancy’s house, but before he got out to help her into the fancy home, he decided to confess his feelings. 

“You have no idea how hard it is for me to see you with Steve because...because I like you so much Nance. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long, but I guess I’m such a coward I can only say it when you’re drunk and asleep...and you won’t even remember it tomorrow.”

He took a deep breath and placed his right hand against her cheek before stepping out of the car and lifting her up, stumbling up to her bedroom. Before leaving, he took off her boots, his hand lingered on her leg for a moment. Her skin was so warm and smooth, instantly he felt the goosebumps all over. As he pulled the covers over her, she grabbed his arm and whispered his name. 

“Jonathan,” it sounded so breathy, so sexy. Before he could respond her eyes were closed, he hand landed by her side. 

It was so unfair. 

...

Nancy normally woke up during the night from bad dreams, but that night her eyes stayed shut, seeing things before her that were exciting: so exciting that she could physically feel the pleasure. 

She dreamt she was in school by her locker grabbing various books when Jonathan walked over to her, touched her arm and looked deep in her eyes. He wore a thin t-shirt that hugged his lean muscles, his pants just tight enough for her to notice the forming bulge below. 

“Jonathan?” She questioned, seeing an undeniable passion in his chocolate eyes. She could tell simply by his body language that he was filled with an uncharacteristic amount of confidence.

Jonathan didn’t speak, but rather grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, her legs locking around his hips. While one hand stayed on her butt, the other reached for the back of her head and brought her in for a warm, passionate kiss that made her stomach flip and blood move quickly through her body. His lips were chapped and chewed but somehow soft and sensual. He backed her against the lockers for support and he pushed his tong into her mouth to show her with everything he had how much he wanted her, needed her. 

“Nancy? Nancy!” Her mother’s voice pulled her out of her deep sleep. Squinting, her eyes blinked open to see her room, and noticed she was alone. 

It was all a dream. 

That thought sent a pang to her heart as her mom called for her again. 

“Yeah?” She yelled back, upset that it had all been a fantasy.

“You have to get up! You’re late for school!” 

...

**Author's Note:**

> So I watched a video on the hair for Stranger Things, and there was this really interesting bit where the hair designer spoke of Nancy’s hair in season two. She said Natalia Dyer came up to her and asked her to cut it short, and told her this whole thing about how Nancy probably took her own scissors and cut the hair in anger or sadness. I thought it may be a cool idea to explain her shortened hair. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story, more to come!


End file.
